Thursday, October 15, 2015

The Slobification of America

One Saturday night not that long
ago I was looking for something a little different for us to do, so I picked a
snazzy nightclub with a show featuring a drag version of Judy and Liza (you
don’t really need last names, do you?) performing together again in all their
glory. It sounded just goofy enough to lift our spirits after a long week, and
just glamorous enough to remind us why we pay these ridiculous Manhattan rents.

For those who are not aware, there
is a street right off Broadway known as Restaurant
Row that is filled with really lovely places to keep your party going long
into the night. The glory years of Manhattan nightlife -- El Morocco, The Stork
Club, and Ricky Ricardo’s Tropicana -- are long past, but you can still savor a martini, have
a wonderful meal, spot celebrities, and see some great entertainment. With that
in mind I slapped on some lipstick, swirled out the door, and ran to meet Mr.
Smarty Pants; all ready for a swanky night in Manhattan.

The
show was great, but the only ones wearing anything sparkly were Judy, Liza, and
me. All of the other women were wearing exactly what their husbands were
wearing: the tee shirts and pants they had worn when they left their hotels
earlier that day.

It
made me sad – isn’t a lot of the fun of going out picking the right outfit? The
ritual of getting all dressed up? Making an entrance? Is that just me?

(Evidently not!)

A few nights later we went with
some friends to a Broadway show. At intermission I looked down the aisle and
spotted this gentleman:

Yes, this was at a Broadway show – a
full-on, $200-a-seat, legitimate, smack-on-Broadway show – the real deal. Now,
I know there are those of you reading this who are thinking, “He paid for the
seat. He can wear what he wants.” To that I reply a witty, “Shut up.” Not only
is his outfit disrespectful to the artists involved in the production, but it makes
the evening less special for everyone around him and, even if he’s not aware of
it, to himself. No less an authority than Project Runway’s Tim
Gunn said as much, when he referred to “the slobification of America.”

When you spiff yourself up it makes
everything around you feel that much more special. You have declared this to be
an event with something extra attached to it, and you start making yourself
more invested in having a good time.

This delicious dress is here
purely because I absolutely love it and it’s great to have a reason to post it.
(Thanks to the Facebook group Mid Century Fashion for drawing it to my
attention.) One of my cousins tells me her mom actually owned this dress, which
kind of makes me feel that I’m related to this turquoise confection.

(You're
welcome.)

Sadly,
most women don’t have pretty little frocks like this hanging in their closets
any more. Most cocktail parties seem to be work related now; business attire
and bored expressions are more prevalent than chiffon, kitten heels, and
sharkskin suits. Mad Men started the conversation about women and men
missing a better way of dressing.

Is it too much to ask to change into
something…special? I’m not being gender specific here. I’m certainly not saying
dresses and suits are The Be All End All for everyone. I’m not even saying what
makes me feel special will make you feel special. I’m saying that if you wore
it to plow the Lower 40 or clean your garage it’s not appropriate to wear to a
venue where if the drinks come dressed with paper umbrellas, they would have
better outfits than you.

If you already wore it to shop for
groceries, go home and shuffle the hangers in your closet to hunt for something
a little more upscale for your night on the town. If you’re going out to dinner
at a place that doesn’t serve meals through a window in a paper bag, do
yourself a favor and put on something that wouldn’t be considered athletic
wear. And while you’re at it, think about making every one of your days a
special occasion. Because if you do they actually do feel more special.

5 comments:

Brava! My mother made us dress for everything except going to the movies - church, theater (inluding dance recitals), the once a year airplane trip to grammy's, the occasional treat of going to the local small town Chinese restaurant. When I went to work for the company my dad retired from I continued to dress (business attire) for my flights to meetings. He said he insisted on the dress code policy to & from meetings out-of-town not only because it spoke to your professionalism but it also saved your derriere if the airline lost your luggage.

I still insist that my kids (22,18 &15) dress when we go to the theater or out to dinner. I think they have finally come to realize that you are treated like an adult, & with more respect when you do.

I agree. I never feel "overdressed", just appropriately dressed! It really upsets me when I go to a wedding or a funeral and people are in t shirts and jeans!! Thanks for letting me know there are still people out there who appreciate style and elegance!

Thank you, ladies! Evidently 'slobification' really hit a nerve because this has been read from Myanmar to Brazil to Alaska! So far everyone agrees, so will we begin to see people sprucing up, or just a lot of heads nodding over computer monitors? That remains to be seen. At any rate, I'm very excited, to say the least, that you all found me. (I don't care what you wear when you read this!)

A thousand times thank you! I try to clean up to go to the market and I always have my tux cleaned and ready to go ... just in case! A few people know this and that's why I've attended so many wonderful parties and events. I'm sad for everyone who is lazy and sorry we have to be having this whole conversation... but we are in a class of our own I suppose.

Proof that if you have proper dress for the occasion, the occasion will present itself! Or at least that's what I tell myself when I fall in love with some party frock that I really can't justify. Something really always does come up, and I haven't had to wear one of my "dammit I'll wear it" dresses to the grocery store yet! Keep that tux ready, because you never know when the phone will ring or the invitation will arrive!

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About Me

I grew up in a small town, but from the time I was five I knew I was destined to live in New York City. Here I am, and not a day goes by that I don't stop to think how lucky I am that my biggest dream came true. (Yes, I realize Manhattan may not be for you. Frankly, we don't have room for all of you.) I've lived a lot, experienced a lot, screwed up a lot, and learned a lot. I've had fun with the glitterati, sprinkled my own brand of glitter having high times with low lifes, and found my place was somewhere in between. I wake up every morning eager to see what each new day will bring and what I'll wear. There's always another adventure on my horizon.